Duties
Doula (pronounced doola) is a Greek word meaning woman servant or caregiver. It now refers to an experienced woman who offers emotional and practical support to a woman or couple before, during and/or after childbirth.
A doula believes in 'mothering the mother'. She is an experienced care- giver who can support the woman through her pregnancy, during labour and in the postnatal period. Although Doula UK members are trained and have experience of birth and labour, doulas from other organisations may not have given birth.
My main role is one of support for the new mother and this can mean spending time with her, chatting and having a cup of tea. It's nice for her to be asked how she is and how she is feeling. My duties vary from family to family depending on their individual needs, but in general I will help with breastfeeding, help allay any fears, assist with housework and encourage the mother to care for herself and the baby.
As well as caring for older children, I can take care of food shopping, housework, prepare dinner and do school runs. It should be as if the new mother had a member of her family or a friend there after the birth to give help and support around the house.
Postnatal doulas work flexible hours to suit the family and the new mother.
The number of visits required is tailored to each woman and her circumstances. The length of time I spend with a family varies but on average it is up to six weeks and usually on a part-time basis. Our work is about empowering a family to take care of itself and we facilitate this by helping around the house and offering support and suggestions.
Likes
I like the independence, and the fact that I am my own boss and work the hours and days to suit myself. I also enjoy meeting lots of new people.
Dislikes
The downside is that sometimes there isn't an awful lot of work in my area, but other than that I really love what I do.
Best achievement
Seeing each family progress after the birth of a baby and bond as a family is my achievement. I feel really privileged to have been part of this special time with a family, especially when the new arrival is a first baby.
Training
I did my training in Edinburgh with Lesley-Anne Patrick, who is now the Scottish representative of Doula UK. Training took place over a weekend and was then followed by a six-part written essay and extensive reading.
I have also undertaken training courses in baby massage, first aid, Reiki massage to level two, breastfeeding and human lactation.
I have an enhanced disclosure, which is a new, and more detailed, form of police check.
Career progression
I started nursing in 1996 and studied for three years but, for various reasons, decided it wasn't what I wanted to do. Then, after a six-month break I was offered a week's position working on nights with twins. So, I fell into maternity nursing by accident but knew I had found something I thoroughly enjoyed.
I continued with maternity nursing for almost two years while hearing more and more about 'doula-ing'. I decided it was worth investigating further and spoke with Lesley-Anne, who sent me some information. The ethos and idea behind it really appealed to me, so I joined up for the next course.
As a postnatal doula I work with families after the baby has been born, but there are birth doulas who meet with a family before the birth and then attend the birth and usually visit the family postnatally too. I plan to become a birth doula in the future. To do this I will have to undertake further study and training by being present at births. In this way I can support the family before, during and after the birth.
Advice
You will need to attend a training course to become a Doula and it is a good idea to meet with a local experienced doula who can answer your questions. Visit the Doula UK website and also www. paramanadoula. com to find out about other courses run by Michael Odent and Liliana Lammers.
All Doula UK courses require you to be a mother, but others don't so it is best to check first.
Having a caring nature and the ability to empathise are important factors, but you will also need a sense of humour and the ability to get on with things.
My work reaches me through Doula UK, word of mouth and local advertising.
Interests
In my spare time I am currently organising my wedding, but also enjoy reading, walking, travelling and going to the movies.
Useful contact:
* Doula UK is a network of Doulas run voluntarily by Doulas and members have a code of practice to follow. The website has lots of information and should give you most of the information you need. Anyone can access freely a list of Doulas by visiting www.doula. org.uk or sending an SAE to Doula UK, PO Box 26678, London N14 4WB.
